The Boxer

So she wants chums to turn up to her first fight, this pretty friend of mine. Some years ago, one of my bosses decamped from the studio; "I've been given £160,000..." he told us, "To go out...across the world if you like...and find new talent! And that's what I'm going to do!" So away he went. Now years later, he's running these white collar boxing events. I don't know what to make of them.

This is so very like him...he arranges, everyone else gets dirty, pretty girls and office boys all ready to get beaten up. The irony is, despite her youth, this chum of mine is well into botox. It seems strange to get your face ironed out with injections one week, only to risk having your nose smashed off the next.

And of course, she wants lots of people to go; but it's expensive and I can't help thinking, Mate, mate, what's your cut? Ex-boss was always very good at looking after himself. Apart from you asking us, where's the money, the publicity? Shouldn't he be in the ring? Of course, it's her choice. She's not like those desperate poor peeps who do this because there is no fecking money anywhere, she's not being knuckled for a shilling...but I am a bit creeped out at the audience that wants to watch a pretty girl being hit. Maybe I am being unjust. Are they any worse than the audience who wants to see grown men punch each other into meatbags?

I would like the Mysterious Stranger to be wrong, but I fear s/he isn't.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifeyKhxgHbA

By contrast, I went to a friend's 50th at the weekend - my first attempt out by myself for a while - it was the best birthday soundtrack ever, in the boot's history of partygoing! I even endured karaoke for her, because we are mates (and cos she threatened to bury me under the bar if I didn't) man, my voice is bad. Tried practising this morning, a belting ballad. My cat Surya joined in with a yowl of such protracted Piaf-like timbre, I desisted, awestruck.

Everyone's a critic.